Gasser, U :: Papierbluten [Paper Blossoms]

Ulrich Gasser’s Paper Blossoms (An Introduction to Contemporary Music) aims to give the young flute player easier access to new flute music, as well as providing the teacher with workable material. The 24 short miniatures (the Paperblossoms) in this method hone in on particular problems in new music - that is, as studies - which go beyond purely technical exercise into the musical challenges of new music.

A basic aim of the collection is to expand musical awareness; to become more used to new melodic traits, sounds, rhythms, and so on. The main topics are:

• Reading accidentals
• Unusual metre, rhythm, and spatial notation
• Extreme dynamic contrasts and accents
• Extremes of vibrato
• Legato and staccato, double- and flutter-tonguing
• Playing techniques such as trills and tremoli, glissandi, harmonics, simultaneous singing and playing, micro-intervals, quarter-tones, and multiphonics

Each of the individual studies also has a three-part commentary. 'Difficulties' lists the technical and musical problems that are the subject of the etude. 'Explanations' provides the necessary explanations of notation, nomenclature, and questions of playing technique. Finally, the 'Suggestions' offer possible approaches to practice.